These are the laws that the residents, voters and lawmakers have established for us to follow and live by. Our state Constitution lays out the the departments of government like most states do with the Legislative, Executive and Judicial departments.

Our current state lawmakers are now in session and a move to make it more difficult to change the state Constitution is before members.

South Dakota has been fortunate to have an educated and engaged citizenry who have worked to actively ensure our laws will protect your rights and freedoms as citizens of South Dakota.

South Dakota voters may decide in November if the state constitution should be harder to change.

The House State Affairs Committee voted Monday to send the measure to the chamber's floor. It has already passed through the Senate.

It would put a constitutional amendment before voters that would increase the majority vote threshold required for a constitutional change to 55 percent of the votes cast on the amendment.

Republican Sen. Jim Bolin, the resolution's sponsor, says it's designed to add an additional protection for the state constitution.

Democrats opposed the measure. Republicans have discussed changes to the ballot question system after the 2016 election season brought millions of dollars from out-of-state groups.